White Noise

by

Don DeLillo

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Old Man Treadwell Character Analysis

A blind man Babette reads to on a weekly basis. The old man has a taste for tabloid magazines like the National Enquirer and the National Examiner, which tout conspiracy theories and rumors. He and his sister go missing for several days, and they’re found stuck in a shopping mall, completely overwhelmed by the saturation of consumerism that they don’t understand.
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Old Man Treadwell Character Timeline in White Noise

The timeline below shows where the character Old Man Treadwell appears in White Noise. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 12
Uncertainty and Authority Theme Icon
Plots and History Theme Icon
...who is Denise’s biological father, wants to take everyone to dinner. Jack drives Babette to Old Man Treadwell ’s house, where she is supposed to read to the blind man from the tabloids,... (full context)
Chapter 21
Fear, Death, and Control Theme Icon
Uncertainty and Authority Theme Icon
Plots and History Theme Icon
When Jack returns to the cots, he sees that Babette is reading to Old Man Treadwell and a group of other blind people. Wanting a distraction, he listens as she reads... (full context)